During the last Town of Sylvan Lake council meeting on Jan. 27, Sylvan Lake Minor Hockey, Lacrosse, and Rec Hockey, pitched the idea of making the curling rink in the NexSource Centre a third hockey arena.
The three groups approached the town on a united front, Sylvan Lake Minor Hockey Association (SLMHA) President Dallas Hand said.
"We got together, the major user groups, and just all approached the town on a united front as It is probably time the town takes a close look at the usage of the curling rink as there were plans when the space was built that if curling wasn't successful a full sheet of ice could go in its place."
While renovations would need to be done, the plumbing and the footprint are there, he added.
For SLMHA, a big reason they got involved in this pitch is because their fast-growing program, which currently has over 400 athletes, has no space to grow any further.
"We are at the brink of our capacity as we are right now. We don't have enough ice right now to service all of our members properly. We make the best out of what we have to work with," Hand said.
To make things work, SLMHA has kids sharing ice, and playing really early in the morning or late at night.
To have space for programming the four associations often have to book space in other communities also.
"The issue with outsourcing the ice is that ice in other communities is also becoming quite scarce," Hand said.
"We are running out of options, and we agree that if we don't make any changes in the town, we will unfortunately have to start capping registrations and turning kids away from hockey."
Using the space the curling rink currently occupies at the NexSource Centre as a third hockey arena would also provide SLMHA the opportunity to host more tournaments, Hand said.
"Currently, we host two tournaments throughout the year: a U9 festival and a U7 festival. Previously, all teams used to get a tournament, but that has slowly phased out as years went by as it became harder to find ice."
With the third sheet, SLMHA could host tournaments up to 14 weekends throughout the winter, he added.
"That is 14 weekends of people coming in, booking hotel rooms, eating at restaurants, and shopping at local shops."
The main part of the pitch given by the four associations is for the Town to look at what the best use of that area in the NexSource Centre would be.
"One of the biggest things for us as taxpayers is that we feel the facility is being underutilized and it is hard to see as a taxpayer. It is hard to see that your tax dollars are going to keep that space all maintained when it is hardly used throughout the week," Hand said.
Curling Club President Wanda Moon said the Sylvan Lake Curling Club (SLCC) is aware of the request made to the town.
"Members of the SLCC were in attendance the night it was put forward. Unfortunately, the club was not consulted nor made aware of the association's intentions before the meeting, and we are disappointed in some of the inaccuracies stated," Moon said.
In Sylvan, the SLCC has a strong history and will be turning 100 years old in 2028.
"This makes us the oldest organized sport in Sylvan Lake and many descendants of the founding members still live here or in the surrounding area," she added.
Every year, the SLCC sees an increase in membership, with new growth in the club since the transition to the NexSource Centre.
"With close to 250 local members, we run eight successful leagues throughout the week, weekend bonspiels, corporate programs, learn to curl for all ages, and local school programming, including offering all grade 5 and 6 students free beginner lessons," Moon said.
"Our programs are run by our many volunteers and paid for entirely by the club. We look forward to organizing more events in the future, like the U18 Provincials we hosted last year. With our Senior Leagues, we truly serve all ages and demographics."
As Sylvan Lake continues to grow, demand for resources in the town will grow also, she added.
"Ultimately, we believe Sylvan Lake is best with diverse recreational opportunities, serving many demographics and interests, which includes Hockey, Lacrosse and Curling."
During the Jan. 27 meeting, council didn't express any opinions or make a decision regarding any changes to the curling rink, Mayor Megan Hanson said.
"However, the administration has been tasked with compiling data on the usage of the facility, revenue and loss comparisons on the facility, as well as gathering relevant historical information and details on past agreements."
This process will take time, Hanson added.
"The process involves a thorough review of past records and current usage data. Once the information is compiled, it will be presented back to council for review."
*This article has been corrected, the previous version of this article stated that the Sylvan Lake Figure Skating Club was part of the pitch, this has been removed as the group was not part of the pitch to council.
